re: Rehoming a dog

If you can’t find a real home have her put down. Abandoning a dog you’ve had that long to a shelter is cruel. She goes to sleep every night, this one will just be permanent.

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However, she does not like them in certain spaces around her (i.e. her spot on the couch), and try as we may, you can't keep 3 young kids away from her all of the time.

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Maybe more of a bandaid, but give her a space the toddlers can't get into. A large crate would be the first thing I thought of, but, if she's not crate trained, that might be punishment to her. Maybe kiddie gate a room off for her or something?

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Either you can teach the dog that biting the kid may result in her death, you can teach the kid that fricking with the dog may result in their death, or you can just let the dog bite the kid and learn their lesson that way. Nobody wants to adopt your geriatric mutt who doesn't like kids. Almost forgot, step 1 put the dog on the floor and sit on "her spot" on the sofa, every single time you sit down, you let her set the pecking order you're asking for trouble. I now have 2 large male dogs. The dog gets a hint of an attitude about something like that, they immediately get banished until the attitude changes.

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This! Your dog needs to have their spot on the couch taken by yourself. I also strongly agree with the previous poster that suggested kenneling (in a large crate). Kenneling shouldn't be a negative element. If done properly your dog will love it.

Dogs in their nature like their dens. Buy a comfortable foam pad and put a 'special' toy that remains in the kennel. Kongs are great! I would place the kennel in an area your kids cant easily access.

Best wishes! Please don't give up on her. She would not give up on you.....

I adopted a Catahoula from a pound when I was in college. He was a great dog to everyone he knew, but about 2 years after I got him he started biting strangers he didn’t know when I’d let them in the house. He’d give a quick bite to the fleshy part of the thigh that would hurt like hell. For years, I’d just make sure he was in his kennel before any guests came to visit. But when my wife was pregnant and due to deliver in a week, my brother in law showed up at the house unannounced and was knocking on our door. My dog and my mother in laws dog start barking like crazy at the door and my dog snapped and shook that little chihuahua like a rag doll and fricked him up pretty good.

With my baby due in a few days and this dog having obvious aggression issues, I had to make the tough choice of having him put down. I considered trying to re-home him but he was 9 years old at that point and ultimately I would have just been putting the next owners at risk of his liabilities.

I paid a vet to come to the house and put him down. I laid him down, covered his eyes with a towel so he couldn’t see and get stressed about the stranger in the house, and the vet gave him a couple shots. He went peacefully in the comfort of his home, without any stress or anxiety.

I know it’s a terribly hard choice to make, but sometimes these things have to be done.

Man and dog have made a deal: humans take care of the dogs and the dogs just have to not be aggressive with us. When they break that deal, a decision has to be made and the issue has to be resolved.

Update on what you decided to do with the pup?

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Either you can teach the dog that biting the kid may result in her death, you can teach the kid that fricking with the dog may result in their death, or you can just let the dog bite the kid and learn their lesson that way.

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Not worth it. Even if you think your dog might bite a child then the dog needs to go. It is just a dog. Get rid of it.

Tell your wife no. Dog needs a space away from the kids. Nice bed on the floor. Dog has arthritis pain. 9.5 year old shepherd is an old dog, despite what the dog says. Sucks. Terrible decision to have to make.